Self-guided Sightseeing Tour #1 in San Jose, United States

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Tour Facts

Number of sights 11 sights
Distance 2.8 km
Ascend 73 m
Descend 76 m

Experience San Jose in United States in a whole new way with our free self-guided sightseeing tour. This site not only offers you practical information and insider tips, but also a rich variety of activities and sights you shouldn't miss. Whether you love art and culture, want to explore historical sites or simply want to experience the vibrant atmosphere of a lively city - you'll find everything you need for your personal adventure here.

Activities in San JoseIndividual Sights in San Jose

Sight 1: The First Unitarian Church of San José

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The First Unitarian Church of San Jose is located at 160 North Third Street in downtown San Jose, California, across from St. James Park, and was designed in "Richardsonian Romanesque" style by architect George Page, who also designed the Hayes Mansion. Local historian Linda Larson Boston called the building, “One of a handful of American churches patterned after Unitarian churches of Transylvania, it features a large triple-arched stained glass window on the facade, multiple domes and cupolas, and both round and square towers,” in her pamphlet, Highlights of San Jose, California’s St. James Park and Environs. The congregation purchased the site in 1888, and the cornerstone was laid in a ceremony on September 23, 1891. The building is registered on both the list of National Register of Historic Places and the list of California Historical Landmarks.

Wikipedia: First Unitarian Church of San Jose (EN), Website

281 meters / 3 minutes

Sight 2: Trinity Cathedral

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Trinity Episcopal Cathedral is an Episcopal cathedral in San Jose, California. It is the seat of the Episcopal Diocese of El Camino Real.

Wikipedia: Trinity Episcopal Cathedral (San Jose, California) (EN), Website

323 meters / 4 minutes

Sight 3: Downtown Historic District

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Downtown Historic DistrictDavid Sawyer from Campbell, California, United States / CC BY-SA 2.0

The Downtown Historic District of San Jose, California is a designated U.S. Historic District area of the city roughly the size of one square block. It is bounded by S. First Street to the west, E. San Fernando Street to the south, S. Third Street to the east, and E. Santa Clara Street to the north, but also includes the south side of E. Santa Clara Street between Third and Fourth Streets.

Wikipedia: Downtown Historic District (San Jose, California) (EN)

200 meters / 2 minutes

Sight 4: Bank of Italy Building

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The Bank of Italy Building is a 14-story, 77.72 m (255.0 ft) Renaissance Revival high-rise built in 1925 in downtown San Jose, California. This building became the second home to the first branch of the Bank of Italy, founded in San Francisco in 1904, which later became the Bank of America. The first location of the Bank of Italy in San Jose, was on the corner of Santa Clara St. and Lightson Alley, near the intersection with Market Street. Restaurants and other businesses occupy the original building, which has been heavily remodeled. A reconstruction of the original building is at History Park in San Jose.

Wikipedia: Bank of Italy Building (San Jose, California) (EN)

387 meters / 5 minutes

Sight 5: Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph

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Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph David Leigh Ellis / CC BY-SA 3.0

The Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph is a historic Catholic church in Downtown San Jose that serves as the cathedral for the Diocese of San José in California, with the distinction of minor basilica.

Wikipedia: Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph (San Jose) (EN), Website

345 meters / 4 minutes

Sight 6: Plaza de César E. Chávez

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The Plaza de César Chávez is an urban plaza and park in Downtown San Jose, California. The plaza's origins date to 1797 as the plaza mayor of the Spanish Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe, making it the oldest public space in Northern California. The plaza was rededicated after Californian civil rights activist César Chávez in 1993.

Wikipedia: Plaza de César Chávez (EN)

220 meters / 3 minutes

Sight 7: The Tech Interactive

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The Tech Interactive The Tech Museum of Innovation / CC BY 2.0

The Tech Interactive is a science and technology center that offers hands-on activities, labs, design challenges and other STEAM education resources. It is located in downtown San Jose, California, adjacent to the Plaza de César Chávez.

Wikipedia: The Tech Interactive (EN), Website

102 meters / 1 minutes

Sight 8: San Jose Civic

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The San Jose Civic is a former arena, currently operating as a theatre and concert venue, located in downtown San Jose, California. The venue is owned by the City of San Jose, is managed by Team San Jose and is booked by Nederlander Concerts. The auditorium seats 3,036 which can be expanded up to 3,326 in a general admission setting.

Wikipedia: San Jose Civic (EN), Website

288 meters / 3 minutes

Sight 9: WORKS/San José

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WORKS/San José is a nonprofit, member-run art space, located in the SoFA district of San Jose, California. It was founded in 1977 by community members.

Wikipedia: WORKS San José (EN)

353 meters / 4 minutes

Sight 10: San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles

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San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles

The San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles is an art museum in Downtown San Jose, California, USA. Founded in 1977, the museum is the first in the United States devoted solely to quilts and textiles as an art form. Holdings include a permanent collection of over 1,000 quilts, garments and ethnic textiles, emphasizing artists of the 20th- and 21st-century, and a research library with over 500 books concerning the history and techniques of the craft.

Wikipedia: San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles (EN), Website

292 meters / 4 minutes

Sight 11: Institute of Contemporary Art San José

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The Institute of Contemporary Art San José (ICA) is a nonprofit art center and gallery founded in 1980, and located in the SoFA District of Downtown San Jose, California, U.S. It supports contemporary artists working in painting, printmaking, sculpture, photography, new media works and site-specific installations. ICA San José is member and community supported. The art center offers rotating art exhibitions with free admission, along with public programs, education programs, and community events.

Wikipedia: Institute of Contemporary Art San José (EN), Website

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Disclaimer Please be aware of your surroundings and do not enter private property. We are not liable for any damages that occur during the tours.

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